WHO WE ARE
Lianyue practitioners are chosen with intention. Every practitioner who joins this practice is culturally responsive, trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, somatically aware, ethically grounded, and genuinely invested in the people they sit with. We believe the therapeutic relationship is the foundation of healing, and that the right fit matters as much as the right approach.
If you're looking for a therapist in New York or New Jersey who brings both clinical depth, science, and genuine compassionate human care, you're in the right place.
ELENA WU, LMHC-D, LPC, CCTP-II, CCATP, CMNCS
FOUNDER & LICENSED PSYCHOTHERAPIST
Licensed therapist specializing in trauma, anxiety, alexithymia, and culturally responsive care for individuals, children, adolescents, and families, online therapy, New York & New Jersey
I am a multicultural doctoral-level psychotherapist who sits at the intersection of being American, Chinese, and Puerto Rican. Growing up as the eldest child in my family meant carrying the expectations, responsibilities, dreams, hopes, and fears of my loved ones, projected onto me before I even had the words for them. I knew deep in my bones that I needed to create the kind of practice I would dream of being part of. One rooted in care, depth, honesty, and real community, that takes access seriously and treats education and the whole person as part of the healing process.
I specialize in working with individuals navigating trauma and PTSD, anxiety and depression, OCD, burnout, people pleasing, intergenerational, systemic, and cultural wounds, identity, neurodivergence, alexithymia, and the exhaustion of being the one everyone else leans on. I proudly and without judgment serve members of the LGBTQIA+ community, BIPOC individuals, immigrants, and first-, second-, and third-generation Americans, and anyone whose life or identity has not always been held with the utmost care and consideration in traditional therapeutic settings.
That work shaped everything about how I show up as a clinician and the founder of Lianyue. I'm continually inspired by the way Eastern and Western modalities can hold each other, each offering something the other cannot reach alone. That inspiration is rooted in something deeper, too: a belief, both inherited and earned, that healing happens in relationship rather than in isolation or in technique alone. That we are connected to each other, to our lineages, to our history, and to something larger than any one modality can hold. I refuse to choose between them. I built this space intentionally so that we don’t have to.
So many of the people who find their way to me are exhausted and behaving in ways they can't quite explain, carrying a heaviness that won't lift or a motivation that won't return, aware that something is off but unable to find the words for it. Often, the disconnect lies somewhere between the body and the mind, in that space where a feeling is present, but its name remains just out of reach. This can quietly shape relationships too, making it hard to know what you need from the people close to you, or to let them know what you're carrying, so that connection starts to feel effortful in ways you can't quite pin down. Part of my work is helping you build that bridge, slowly and without judgment, so that what once felt confusing or impulsive can become something you understand, embody, communicate, and work with rather than against, both within yourself and with the people you love.
In our work together, you can expect steadiness, clarity, attunement, and support. I guide rather than command. I am honest, grounded, real, compassionate, and sincere, sometimes silly, and often check in to make sure that what is said and what is happening in the space feels aligned and meaningful. I strive to build a foundation of safety and trust, one spacious enough to hold both the softness and the rawness of what it means to be human. I won't hesitate to offer feedback or to call you out when you need it, always with kindness. I am someone who will sit with you in the dark, through the hard parts, without flinching, and who genuinely believes that the most broken pieces of you are also the most beautiful, loved, and alive.
If something in you feels called to this kind of space, I'd be honored to hear from you.
AS SEEN IN MEDIA
“ As a multicultural psychotherapist, I create a warm space where your lived experiences are valued, heard, and understood. I support clients working through anxiety, perfectionism, OCD, trauma, identity, depression, and relationship struggles, and I'm passionate about those navigating cultural identity and intergenerational family expectations and responsibilities. My approach is holistic and relational, exploring how early attachment patterns shape your self-perception and relationships. If we work together, you may occasionally meet my (large but gentle) co-regulator pup, a reminder that nervous systems settle together, not alone. “
Clinical Approach
ELENA'S APPROACH IS INTEGRATIVE, TAILORED, AND EVIDENCE-BASED, SHAPED BY WHO YOU TRULY ARE AND WHAT YOU NEED, NOT BY A FIXED PROTOCAL. HER WORK DRAWS FROM BOTH WESTERN AND EASTERN PHILOSOPHY, PRACTICE, AND SCIENCE.
The modalities she is most drawn to include psychodynamic therapy, trauma-informed care, mentalization, DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy), CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), IFS (Internal Family Systems), somatic-based approaches, attachment-based therapy, compassion-focused therapy, mindfulness-based approaches, creative arts therapy, ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention), liberatory, anti-oppressive, and Eastern frameworks including TCM, Taoism, and Buddhism. She also brings specialized training in nutritional mental health, understanding that what we eat, how we sleep, and how our bodies function are inseparable from our mental health.
LICENSURE & CERTIFICATIONS
NY License: LMHC #017281
NJ License: LPC #37PC01245500
NPI: #1821701509
• Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, Level II (CCTP-II)
• Certified Mental Health & Nutrition Clinical Specialist (CMNCS)
• Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional (CCATP)
• Attachment Trauma Treatment Specialist Certificate: Clinical Skills for Anxious, Disorganized, and Avoidant Attachment Styles
• ADHD Certification: Supporting Neurodiverse Clients
• Mental Health First Aid Certified
• Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training
• NYS Mandated Reporter
• Responsible Conduct of Research (CITI Certified)
EDUCATION
PhD in Clinical Psychology- Fairleigh Dickinson University, School of Psychology and Counseling MA in Mental Health Counseling, Awarded with Distinction- John Jay College of Criminal Justice MA in Forensic Psychology, Awarded with Distinction- John Jay College of Criminal Justice
ASSESSMENT COMPETENCIES
Elena is trained in a comprehensive range of psychological assessment instruments across trauma, personality, cognitive, forensic, and child and adolescent domains, including but not limited to CAPS-5, MMPI-3, PAI, WAIS-IV, PCL-R, HCR-20, Rorschach (Exner), K-SADS, CBCL, Conners-3, and C-SSRS.
RESEARCH & PUBLICATIONS
Lu, W., Yanos, P. T., et al. (2026, June). How to Support Students with PTSD in Postsecondary Education: A Qualitative Analysis of Students with Lived Experiences. Journal of Rehabilitation.
Manuscripts in Progress
Wu, E., Craft, D., Zammarelli, G., & Bartoszek, G. (in preparation). Causal attributions and mental illness stigma.
Selected Conference Presentations
Lu, W., Wang, F., Zhang, Y., Chen, M., Wu, E., et al. (2026, March). Unmuting Mental Health: An online mental health anti-stigma and service engagement intervention for Chinese American adolescents and parents. American Academy of Health Behavior, Austin, TX.
Bartoszek, G., Kloucek, N.J., Craft, D., Wu, E., & Winer, E.S. (2024, May). Understanding the dynamics of anxiety, depression, avoidance, and anhedonia. Association for Psychological Science, San Francisco, CA.
Wu, E., Wang, K., & Lu, W. (2022, May). Qualitative exploration of the impact of trauma on education among post-secondary students. New Jersey Counseling Association Conference.
Wu, E., Ramierez, B., Holdren, S. (2016, May). Who are our presidential candidates really? An examination of the psychopathic traits of political leaders. Kirby Psychology Forensic Seminar, New York, NY.
Wu, E., Juncosa, B., McKinley, S., Ramirez, B. (2015, May). Behavioral differences between youth and adults in single-victim sexual homicide. Behavioral Analysis Unit, Federal Bureau of Investigations, New York, NY.
Grow With Us
Lianyue is growing intentionally. If you are a clinician who shares this vision, integrative, trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, liberatory, culturally responsive, and genuinely invested in depth of care, and who believes that children, adolescents, and families deserve the same depth of care as any adult client, we would love to hear from you..
READY TO BEGIN?
Lianyue is currently accepting a limited number of new clients in New York and New Jersey. All inquiries are personally reviewed to ensure the right fit.